The invention relates generally to a towing apparatus for vehicles, and more specifically to towing apparatuses comprising lifting means for temporarily lifting the vehicle and support means for supporting the vehicle while in transit to a repair station.
Towing apparatuses of this type are required particularly for large vehicles such as trucks or buses which in the event of a locked axle or flat tire cannot immediately be repaired at an accident site or loaded onto larger vehicles to be transported away. Towing is also not immediately possible in the case of tire defects or locked axles. Nevertheless, the accident site must be cleared as quickly as possible in order to avoid unnecessarily obstructing traffic. The vehicle must be conveyed to a place where it can be repaired, or at least prepared for transport over some distance.
German Offenlegungsschrift No. 2,841,215 discloses a towing apparatus including a lifting device similar to a winch or a jack. This reference contains specific disclosures only with respect to the attachment means between the winch and the wheel of the vehicle to be lifted. A shaft stub is screwed to the vehicle wheel on the outside coaxially to the wheel axle by the use of wheel nuts. The lifting device can be positioned beneath the protruding shaft stub and the vehicle wheel can be raised. A mobile wheel support for which no detailed disclosure is presented is provided for emergency movement. Although only every other wheel nut has to be removed and repositioned in order to screw on the flange for the purpose of fastening the shaft stub, the assembly of the shaft stub is relatively time-consuming. Furthermore the shaft stub extends relatively far laterally, so that space required in the transverse direction for raising the vehicle wheel is relatively great. Space is seemingly also required on both sides of the raised wheel in order to slide the mobile wheel support under the raised wheel. In normal road traffic, adequate space for use of this apparatus may generally be available. In contrast, where service is required for vehicles on roads with lateral transverse guide rails and transverse guide rollers arranged on the vehicles, the space conditions in the wheel region are greatly constricted by the transverse guide rails. This space problem makes it virtually impossible to use prior art towing apparatuses. It must be considered in this context that the clearance afforded vehicles suitable for rail-bound use is relatively narrow, which is a principal advantage of such rail-bound vehicles. This clearance must not or cannot be diminished when applying the towing apparatus either because of a need to avoid obstructing oncoming traffic in a closely adjacent track, or because a tunnel wall or some other obstacle restricting the clearance is already present in immediate proximity. Additionally, the transverse guide rail itself is frequently incapable of supporting a load in the vertical direction, so that the lifting device cannot be supported upon the upper face of this rail. It must also be taken into consideration that the wheel to be raised occupies highly variable positions relative to the transverse guide rail. The wheel may come to a standstill in immediate proximity to the transverse guide rail, or relatively far from the rail.
One object of the invention is to provide an improved towing apparatus while avoiding the disadvantages and satisfying the requirements described above. The apparatus must be capable of use with vehicles adapted for rail-bound service and suitable for service on tracks with lateral transverse guide means arranged on the vehicles.
This object and other objects of the invention are achieved according to the present invention by provision of the following apparatus. A lifting device is provided which is braced through the intermediary of a cross-bar with angular feet against the wheel tread of the vehicle to be raised. The lifting device is located in direct proximity to the vehicle wheel to be raised, so that the width required is extremely small. Furthermore the lifting device can immediately be employed regardless of the proximity of the transverse guide rail to the wheel. Additionally, any vertical loading of the transverse guide rail by the lifting device is avoided. Operation of the device is immediately possible even in constricted surroundings. An emergency truck comprising a mobile support means having a narrow construction provides mobile support for the vehicle. This support means can always be pushed past the stationary lift supports in a longitudinal direction relative to the vehicle and brought into position in spite of the bracing of the angular supports on the wheel tread of the vehicle wheels. The supporting surface of the emergency truck is also always at the same height regardless of any possible tire defects.
Further objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description when taken with the accompanying drawings which show, for purposes of illustration only, embodiments in accordance with the present invention.